November 3, 2026 · Ohio Votes for Governor
Two very different résumés are on the desk for the same job. This guide puts them side by side — every line dated, sourced, and linked. No scores. No spin. You're the hiring manager.
Amy Acton
Vivek Ramaswamy
The Résumés
The basics, side by side. Same rows, same sourcing standard, both candidates.
Side by Side
The laws and bills below decide daily life for LGBTQ+ Ohioans, and the next governor signs or vetoes what reaches the desk. Where a candidate is on record, we quote it. Where they aren't, that's on the record too.
| Issue | Amy Acton | Vivek Ramaswamy |
|---|---|---|
| LGBTQ+ Ohioans in the 2026 platform | Mixed Language her campaign added to its platform in mid-July, after two weeks of criticism of her trans athletes statement: “All Ohioans deserve to be treated fairly and equally under the law. As governor, I am committed to standing up against discrimination and ensuring that every Ohioan – including members of the LGBT community – receives equal protection under the law.” The Buckeye Flame, July 16, 2026 | No public position His 2026 platform does not mention LGBTQ+ Ohioans. A text search of the platform page and homepage on July 30, 2026 found zero occurrences of “LGBT,” “transgender,” “gay,” “lesbian,” “queer,” “sexual orientation,” or “gender identity.” The Buckeye Flame, July 16, 2026 · Platform |
| Trans girls' participation in school sports HB 68 · law, veto overridden Jan 2024 · under appeal | Opposes “I do not support boys playing in girls sports. This is already settled law in Ohio, and as governor I will enforce and uphold the law.” Her statement to The Toledo Blade after the U.S. Supreme Court's June 30, 2026 ruling; she restated the position on July 8 rather than walking it back. LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the statement for describing trans girls as “boys.” The Toledo Blade, via NBC4, June 30, 2026 | Opposes · 2023 On December 29, 2023, the day Gov. DeWine vetoed HB 68, he posted: “There are two genders. Boys shouldn’t compete with girls in girls’ sports. Kids shouldn’t be subjected to genital mutilation & chemical castration when they suffer mental health lapses. Shame on Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for this failure.” He was a presidential candidate at the time. Truthout reported that he, Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis pressured Ohio legislators to override the veto, which they did in January 2024. We found no 2026 statement from him on the sports provision. The Daily Signal, January 2, 2024 · Truthout, January 11, 2024 |
| Gender-affirming care for minors HB 68 · law, held unconstitutional on appeal · at the Ohio Supreme Court | No public position We found no on-record position from her on HB 68's gender-affirming care ban specifically, as of July 30, 2026. | Opposes In 2023 he supported banning gender-affirming care for minors nationwide: “we won't allow genital mutilation or chemical castration through puberty blockers for the purpose of transition.” For adults, he said: “If you're after 18 years old, you're free to decide whatever you want to do.” At two 2023 debates he called being transgender “a mental health disorder.” His only statement on HB 68 itself is the December 29, 2023 veto-day post quoted in the row above; nothing from 2026. NBC Meet the Press, April 30, 2023 · PolitiFact, September 28, 2023 |
| The Ohio Fairness Act: nondiscrimination in jobs, housing, and public accommodations SB 70 · introduced Feb 2025 · pending | Mixed Her platform pledges anti-discrimination laws covering “race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion” — a list that does not include gender identity — and takes no position on SB 70 by name. Acton platform, accessed July 30, 2026 | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. |
| A statewide conversion therapy ban SB 71 · introduced Feb 2025 · pending | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. Our questionnaire asks: sign or veto? | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. Our questionnaire asks: sign or veto? |
| Bathroom and disclosure rules in schools SB 104 · law since Feb 2025 · HB 8 · law since Jan 2025 | No public position No public position found on either law as of July 30, 2026. Our questionnaire asks whether she'd keep, expand, or roll them back. | No public position No public position found on either law as of July 30, 2026. Our questionnaire asks whether he'd keep, expand, or roll them back. |
| HB 249, the public drag ban HB 249 · passed the House 63–32, Mar 25, 2026 · pending in the Senate | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. The bill would bar drag and gender performances outside adult-cabaret venues or anywhere a minor may be present, and a separate provision reaches restroom and locker room use. If it passes, the next governor signs or vetoes it. | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. Rep. Josh Williams is the primary sponsor; Rep. Jamie Callender was the only Republican to vote no. If it passes, the next governor signs or vetoes it. |
| HB 693, the custody shield for parents who reject a child's gender identity HB 693 · introduced Feb 2026 · pending | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. If it passes, the next governor signs or vetoes it. | No public position No public position found on record as of July 30, 2026. If it passes, the next governor signs or vetoes it. |
Beyond the Headline Issues
LGBTQ+ Ohioans do not live single-issue lives. Healthcare, a paycheck, and a public school shape whether equality holds up in practice. A brief look at where each candidate stands; full platforms: Acton's · Ramaswamy's.
Care that is affordable and respectful decides whether equality on paper reaches the exam room.
Acton
Plans an “Ohio Rx” purchasing platform to drive down drug prices, plus a day-one push to relieve medical debt “for pennies on the dollar.” Acton platform
Ramaswamy
His principal published healthcare item is a Medicaid anti-fraud proposal; beyond it, his platform lists no other healthcare planks as of July 30, 2026. Vivek for Ohio · The Plan
A paycheck and stable costs are the safety net LGBTQ+ Ohioans fall back on where legal protections are missing.
Acton
An affordability agenda built on a state child tax credit and Earned Income Credit, plus a property tax circuit breaker rebate of up to $1,000. Statehouse News Bureau, April 6, 2026 · July 20, 2026
Ramaswamy
Pledges to phase out the state income tax, “starting with eliminating capital gains taxes,” and to roll property taxes back to pre-pandemic levels. The Plan · Statehouse News Bureau, July 14, 2026
The bills in the table above land first in school buildings, and so does state funding policy.
Acton
Would restore the bipartisan Fair School Funding Plan, reform what she calls a “corrupt school voucher system,” and fund free school breakfast and lunch. Acton platform
Ramaswamy
An “Educational Achievement” pillar: raise academic standards, expand school choice, and tie teacher pay to merit. The Plan · WOSU, August 20, 2025
Bodily autonomy is one fight; the same state offices that police reproductive care set the terms for trans healthcare.
Acton
“Every Ohioan deserves the right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, free from government interference, plain and simple.” Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio and Reproductive Freedom for All. Acton platform · PPAO, March 5, 2026
Ramaswamy
Called himself “unapologetically pro-life” in his 2023 presidential run; his 2026 platform does not mention abortion as of July 30, 2026. Heartland Signal, May 12, 2026
Last verified July 30, 2026. This guide reflects the public record only. Spot something out of date or wrong? Tell us and we will correct it.
The Interviews
Every quote below is real, verbatim, and sourced — from debates, interviews, and campaign events. Guess who said each one; we'll show you the receipt either way.
The Paths
Both candidates were born in Ohio, made their names far outside elected office, and are now running for governor as first-time candidates for state office. Here's how each got here.
The Job Itself
Ohio's governor signs or vetoes what the legislature passes, so Ohio Pride PAC is sending the same five questions to every candidate for governor, the same standard our scorecard applies to all 132 legislators of both parties. Answers and non-answers alike will be published here.
The Rest of the Field
This guide compares the two major-party tickets, because that is where the documented record is. They are not the whole ballot. The Libertarian ticket and the independent write-in bid have their own page, with ballot status and the same sourcing standard applied.
See the other candidates Don Kissick (Libertarian) and Tim Grady (Independent)Your Move
The interview ends November 3. Here's your calendar.
Our Standard
This page grades no one. Ohio Pride PAC publishes a legislative scorecard that grades all 132 sitting Ohio legislators of both parties on their votes. Neither candidate for governor has a legislative voting record in Ohio, so there is nothing to grade — instead, this guide documents what both candidates have said and done, in their own words, with dates and links.
Portraits adapted (background removed, cropped) from photographs licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Amy Acton by Myselfsour2724 via Wikimedia Commons. Vivek Ramaswamy by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons. These adaptations are shared under the same license. See photo credits.
Candidate photographs are used under open licenses; the required attribution appears with the portraits above, and full author and license terms are on the photo credits page.
